Presently there is a shortage of energy for the world's needs. Generally the world relies upon oil and fossil fuel to generate the majority of the electricity consumed by industrial nations. Furthermore, while the finite supply of fossil fuels to continues to dwindle, the demand for energy continues to increase.
As a result of the continued depletion of energy sources and the continued increase of energy demand, many inventions have looked to alternative sources of fuel. The alternative fuel sources include solar power, wind power, or even burning of garbage in landfills. While the need for alternative fuel sources increases, many of those already in use present limited solutions to the current energy problems. These limitations result from the prohibitive costs associated with manufacturing, the alternative fuel source, or as a result of general societal indifference to energy shortage.
While scientists and engineers continue their search for viable alternative fuel sources, industrial nations continue to produce large amounts of waste. Attempts to reduce the amount of waste produced in many nations has resulted in recycling initiatives, government regulations, and reduced consumption. However, several manufactured items do not lend themselves to recycling or other modes of disposal, and thus present a long-term environmental and landfill threat. One such product is vulcanized rubber, or automobile tires. It is estimated that each year at least 1 billion tires are discarded around the world with the majority of those coming from the United States of America. These tires are often placed in large piles which present environmental and health hazards if they were to burn. Controlled tire burning has been seen as a way to alleviate the energy crisis the world faces, yet generally tire fires are logical disasters, due to the extreme pollutants released when the rubber is burnt. Furthermore, it is seen that tire fires contribute to pollutants that can cause global warming. As a result, burning of old tires is not generally seen as a viable option for disposing of tires.